Vertiv launches its Data Centre Sustainability Guide

Vertiv has now released its new Guide to Data Centre Sustainability. This online resource, designed to be used by data centre owners and operators, is designed to help readers reduce the environmental impact of their facilities.

Critical environments: data centres’ environmental impact, and the industry’s work to address it 

Reports have revealed that the world’s data centres currently account for around 1% of global electricity demand. 

But, the industry was able to limit the impact of capacity growth on total energy consumption prior to 2020, by improving operating efficiency. 

However, in 2020, global internet traffic surged by more than 40%, which has fuelled a predicted 13% compound annual growth rate in data centre construction over the next five years. 

This rapid growth, coupled with increasing consumer awareness about sustainability, has driven the adoption of new solutions that increase equipment utilisation, address inefficiencies, and decrease data centres’ dependence on carbon-based energy sources.

“We’re seeing a sense of urgency by operators across the industry to reduce the impact of their operations on the environment, and this new resource is designed to help them do just that,” commented TJ Faze, Head of ESG Strategy & Engagement at Vertiv. 

“The focus on operational efficiency has enabled significant improvements, but now new strategies and more intelligent systems are required to drive down emissions and water use as the industry continues to grow. As a provider of infrastructure solutions to enterprises, colocation and cloud providers, Vertiv is well-positioned to share best practices and new developments across these sectors.”

The Vertiv Guide to Data Centre Sustainability provides guidance for operators on:

• The business case for reducing environmental impact
• How data centre infrastructure and complementary technologies are evolving to support higher utilisation and increased use of renewable energy
• Resources, frameworks and metrics for implementing and measuring sustainability initiatives
• Best practices for designing and operating low-impact data centres

“In Europe alone, over 25 European cloud and data centre operators and 17 other industry associations have signed an agreement to make their facilities carbon neutral via 100% renewable energy sources by 2030,” added Karsten Winther, EMEA president at Vertiv. 

“This will only be achievable if organisations implement new strategies and innovative systems that reduce the consumption of resources. Our newly launched Guide, paired with our depth of experience in providing infrastructure solutions, allows us to share best practices and new innovations from across the industry to educate these operators and help to reduce the environmental footprint of their facilities, not only in Europe, but across the globe.”